The field of the present invention relates to a visual display system and more particularly to such a system for use in teaching geography in which objects having geographic or topographical significance easily can be arranged on a suitable background so that their individual size and shape, and their relationship to each other, can be demonstrated in a manner that promotes memory of them.
The study of geography requires a large amount of information to be conveyed to and absorbed by the students. Current surveys indicate that the average student in the United States does not have a strong grasp on the geography of even the locality in which he resides, let alone the country as a whole or the world. One reason is that the typical teaching tools bombard students with information. The most common display devices used for teaching geography are maps, globes or drawings of individual geographic regions such as states in the Union. While maps and the like convey accurate information, they present it in such a mass format that it is difficult for students to absorb, particularly with respect to the relationship of different geographic areas and the location of cities, rivers or topographical features within those areas. Moreover, maps and the like are not interactive with the students and require considerable concentration and memory power rather than an easy association of places and things with easily identifiable physical objects.